‘That’s what I came over here to tell you. Everything’s sorted. I’ve just delivered the buttonholes and the bridal party’s bouquets, posies and corsages so you can tick those off your list. I also bumped into Freya who’s declared herself happy with the dresses, but was decidedly unhappy at being summoned to Queen Nadia’s suite like some kind of on-call dressmaker to put a few stitches in her bodice. She’s an absolute nightmare that woman. You know, she asked me to add another stem to her corsage just so hers looked better than Audrey’s? I thought of including a little wormy extra, but I managed to resist – I just gave her my best enigmatic smile and obliged.’
‘Thanks, Jasper, you’re an angel.’
‘It has been said. By the way, I have a message from Freya.’
‘What?’
‘I’m not sure what she means but she said “be brave”.’
‘Brave? What on earth she’s talking about?’
‘No idea, but I’m sure it’s excellent advice.’
Lexie rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, I’m going back across to the hotel now.’
‘Good luck, darling. Break a leg, or whatever it is you wedding planners say.’
Jasper leaned forward to place a kiss on Lexie’s cheek and give her an encouraging hug.
‘If you need to talk, you know where I am.’
‘Thanks, Jasper. Hey, do you want to stick around?’
‘I’d love to, but I’ve got a christening this afternoon. However, there is something I want to ask you before I go.’
‘Sure.’
‘Does Fabulous Theo have a brother?’
Jasper’s eyes sparkled with naughtiness but Lexie refused to rise to the bait.
‘He does, but I think he’s married.’
‘Okay, there’s no harm in asking,’ he grinned. ‘Saw that basketball player who was in the papers a while ago when I dropped the flowers off earlier. What’s he doing at the manor?’
‘Who do you mean?’
‘Tall guy, cropped hair, too handsome for his own good?’
‘Oh, I think you mean Patrice.’
‘Yes, that’s him.’
‘He’s Nadia’s date for the wedding.’
‘No way! Well, you might want to tell her to check out his antecedents?’
‘Antecedents?’
‘In both senses of the word.’
‘Stop being so cryptic, Jasper, it doesn’t suit you!’
‘How do I put this delicately? There’s a rumour he supplements his income as an escort?’
‘Really?’
‘But I’m sure Nadia must know this.’
‘I have no idea. What’s the other interpretation?’
‘Well, I don’t want to sully the guy’s reputation…’
‘Jasper, you have to tell me what’s going on.’
‘Hey, Lexie, got a minute?’
Lexie glanced to the door where Theo was standing, his face wreathed in concern.
‘Is it about Patrice?’
Theo shot a look across to Jasper, his eyes widening when he saw his off-the-wall wedding waistcoat but managing to keep his opinion to himself as he nodded in Lexie’s direction.
‘It’s okay, I think Jasper is just about to spill the gossip. Shall we sit down first?’
Lexie pointed to the collection of chairs on the raised platform where, later on, the steel band would set up their instruments for the evening reception, and the three of them took a seat.
‘Okay, who’s going to go first?’
‘Theo can – he’s the gossip columnist!’
‘Hey, I prefer investigative journalist! This wedding gig is just temporary until my colleague gets back from wallowing in the luxury of his hospital bed!’
‘Sounds like a tough life.’
‘Guys, guys, we’re on a tight schedule here! The wedding is due to start in just over an hour! Theo, tell me what you found out from your search online, it’ll be more reliable than what Jasper’s heard on the grapevine.’
‘Apparently, Patrice is a semi-professional basketball player—’
‘Already covered.’
‘And he’s also a part-time model.’
‘Is that what he calls it?’
‘Jasper!’
‘Sorry.’
‘But the most interesting thing I found out about Mr Patrice Julien was that six months ago he was cautioned by the police for theft.’
‘Oh, my God, theft? Really? I bet Nadia has no idea. And Jason did say there was something about the guy that he wasn’t sure about. Were there any more details?’
‘It seems he was caught offloading some of his club’s equipment on eBay.’
‘Is that theft?’ asked Jasper.
‘It is if he hasn’t got permission to do that,’ said Theo. ‘There was a whole series of articles about other sportsmen and women who’d been caught doing exactly the same, along with photographs, one of which was Patrice so it’s definitely him.’
‘So Rachel did recognise him! She must have said something to him. I reckon she told him to come clean to Nadia or she would tell her about her “boyfriend’s” criminal misdemeanours. No wonder he’s so keen to pop the question.’
‘He’s going to ask Jason’s mother to marry him?’ gasped Jasper, his eyes out on stalks. ‘No way! He’s half her age, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I thought he was just her date for the wedding.’
‘Obviously not.’
‘Okay, so what are we going to do?’
‘We are not going to do anything until after the wedding ceremony!’ said Lexie, getting up out of her chair and making for the door, her thoughts ricocheting around her head and causing her to feel a little dizzy. ‘God, this whole thing is turning into something like a scene from a murder mystery drama.’
‘Except for the dead bodies!’ grinned Jasper.
‘Don’t even say those words!’
‘You know, Lex, I’ve done nine weddings this year with Marley and not one of them has been as exciting as this one. You definitely bring a certain panache to the show! Please, please, please say you’ll stay on in Pengarth!’ said Jasper, joining Lexie as she hustled along the path leading back to the manor with Theo a few metres behind them, his leg hampering his progress. ‘You need to tell that cheating imbecile you were engaged to that he’s ancient history and start looking for a job down here. I could do with a bit of help at the florist’s and Freya certainly needs to wind back on the hours she puts in at the boutique.’
‘Jasper, can we shelve this conversation for now?’
Lexie flashed a significant look over her shoulder, grateful that Theo hadn’t heard Jasper’s mini-lecture on the subject of relationships.
‘We can shelve it, but not bin it! Toodle-oo!’
Jasper wriggled his fingers at Lexie and then Theo, before hopping into his bright yellow Golf GTI, revving the engine like a schoolboy racer, and scattering gravel in all directions as he shot out of the car park and down the winding drive on his way back to his florist’s shop in Pengarth.
‘Okay, so how do you want to handle this?’ asked Theo as they mounted the wide stone steps that led to the terrace outside the Chandler Suite. ‘Should we try and grab Patrice, tell him what we know and persuade him not to propose to Nadia until this weekend is over and Zara and Jason are safely off on their honeymoon? Or do you think we should go straight to Nadia, put her in the picture?’